


The sound of breaking hearts

by this_is_everything



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Break Up, Forced, Heartbreak, Hurt, M/M, Past Relationship(s), Period-Typical Homophobia, Secret Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 12:55:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21410536
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/this_is_everything/pseuds/this_is_everything
Summary: Archie joins the Serpents to be with Jug.When Fred finds out, he reacts badly.(Because it wakes memories he'd rather forget, mornings of Fp curled up next to him, his head tucked into the crook of Fred's neck.Because it reminds him of the fact that Fp and him are history.)
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Fred Andrews, Archie Andrews/Jughead Jones, FP Jones II & Jughead Jones, Fred Andrews/FP Jones II
Comments: 7
Kudos: 82





	The sound of breaking hearts

**Author's Note:**

> This story is not about Fred being a bad person. He doesn't want to hurt anyone intentionally. It's just him reacting badly with his past and with his feelings.
> 
> I usually give Fred and Fp happy endings but this time I switched it up.

Archie is almost drunk when his dad walzes through the doors of the Whyte Wyrm, his face twisted in anger. The girl stops singing, the band stops playing, people turn their heads to look. Fred marches past groups of Serpents all tall and dark without batting an eye, without a care in the world, up to Archie and knocks the glass out of his hand. It crashes onto the floor, breaks, Jughead steps back, his eyes blown wide. He has never seen Mr.A so furious, not even when they literally destroyed Archie's room when they were small, with paint and water guns until Archie couldn't sleep in it for weeks until it was fixed up.

Fred looks a different kind of angry, the kind where the past shimmers through, some past memories that were brought back by something Archie did today. It's the kind of anger that is directed towards the pain inside.

Fred catches his son's hand, his face red. "Take the jacket off.", he says, his voice strained. "What dad? No!",Archie slurs and Fred grabs him by the back of his neck, presses hard. "You will do as I say Archie or so help me God.." The sentence floats in the air, the threat unfinished. Fred has never threatened Archie, or anyone to be honest, before and it's a scary look.

"Fred." A voice says, coming from the stairs. Fred turns around and there stands Fp, tall and proud, his eyes hard. The soft beard grew back, the serpent jacket is hanging loosely from his shoulders. He is beautiful like this, bathed in darkness, looks like a fallen angel, reminds Fred so much of his younger version, when they used to be happy.

His mouth has a bitter taste.

"Fred." Fp says again, a bit softer now, his eyes shifting, as if he weren't sure how to act around Fred, as if he weren't sure if they were friends or foes. Lovers, Fred thinks. That's all Fp could ever be to him.

And he almost stops. It would be so easy to leave the boys to themselves and go home, maybe drinking himself into forgetting Fp's name.

But he's too far gone. Archie in that hateful leatherjacket stirs memories in Fred he had wished would have stayed forgotten. Fp hanging it around his shoulder as they sit by the lake until it's pitch-black, counting the stars and kissing softly, because only in the dark could they be free. Fred's father shouting over the lawn that Fred should for God's sakes take off Fp's disgusting jacket that was probably crawling with Southside diseases, even better that he should completely stop hanging out with a thug, a low life like Fp who's only future was to rot in prison. Fp's sunken face, littered with bruises, as he craddles the jacket close to his chest, looking all small and fragile in the entry of Fred's house. "Can I stay here for the night?", he would ask his voice barely a whisper and Fred would tuck him into bed and try to mend what Forsythe I had broken.

Fred is vaguely aware of what he's doing. Being like his father, an asshole, trying to split up two lovers that haven't done anything wrong. He doesn't know why he's doing it, he loves his son and he loves Jughead ,because how could he not love anything that carried a part of Fp in themselves. But seeing them together, that jacket. He can't go through this. Can't wait and watch until Jughead breaks Archie's heart, drops him like a doll because there's no use for him anymore. Like Fp did. His chest aches painfully.

"Fred what are you doing?"

And there's Fp again, a constant reminder of what could have been and never was.

"What does it look like I'm doing?", he growls through his teeth. "I'm taking my son and he's never setting a foot inside of this bar again. And he will never, ever be a serpent!"

"It was his choice, Fred, don't take that away from him." And fuck Fp for using his own name against him, by being all soft and perfect and obviously right.

Fred flushes.

"You know damn well how I feel about all of this, I'm sure the only reason you're letting him join is because you know I would disapprove."

"You think I made your kid join to hurt you?!"

"It wouldn't be the first time.", he mutters.

It's a low blow, even for Fred, especially for Fred. He can see how Fp recoils at his words, hurt shimmering in his eyes. He watches as Fp draws back into his shell. His softness is gone, his face is hard, but that Fred can deal with. It's easier for him to have Fp hate him than living through the softness his voice takes when they talk, the way he pronounces Fred's name, as if it were the most precious thing in the world, pretending like it isn't completely wrecking him inside.

"The boy wanted to join. He passed the tests, so he's in." Fp says, his voice stern.

"Well he's out now! And if I ever find out that you let him join again, I will destroy you and your stupid gang, understood?!"

The words are like razorblades and Fred is breathing hard. He almost rips the jacket off Archie's shoulders and the boy struggles to get out of Fred's iron grip. "Dad, I want to be with Jughead!"

The bar is quiet, the serpents are looking at their leader in expectation. But Fp only watches, his eyes are blazing, one arm draped protectively around Jughead who is now sobbing quietly into his chest.

Fred pulls Archie by his hand and the boy stumbles after him. "What are you doing dad? You're hurting me, let go!" But Fred never stops, never lets go, just pushes Archie into the truck once they reached it. When he walks around the car to get into the driver's seat, he sees Fp, standing at the door, Jughead still in his arms, his gaze murderous.

"Our children are not us,Freddie. They're good. They won't fuck it up, they won't make the same mistakes we did. As long as we don't repeat the mistakes our parents did."

Since when has Fp been this good with words?

_Since always_.

Fred remembers Fp's love, how the boy used to worship the ground Fred walked on, letting him sneak into the trailer after he spend the evening at Hermione's, still welcoming him with open arms and kisses, letting his heart be walked on over and over until Fred finally realized that Fp was the best thing in his life not some girls.

(By then it's almost over. Their parents trying to cut them off, urging them to get married. And then Fp joined the military because he thought so little of himself. The letters became sparse and Mary more present in his life.)

But Mary is gone now and Fp is still the most beautiful human Fred has ever lain his eyes on.

But those eyes are cold now.

Fred gets into the car and drives away without ever looking back.

Archie is quiet.

And Fred feels like this might be the end. 


End file.
